À propos

I’ve learned to be myself again!

I was born in Quebec Canada 1965. My younger years were spent in the U.S. During high school I experimented with alcohol which at that time was the cool thing to do. After graduating from high school I was very active in sports and took college courses. I played junior hockey but focused more on baseball. I played semi pro.

During this period of time I started to drink at least 4 times a week. I finally accepted a job. I also met my wife, everything was going great.I was starting to drink everyday but only after work, it didn’t affect my daily routine at first. I then started to have 2-3 beers before work and at least 3 beers at lunch which still didn’t affect anything because only I knew. I got diagnosed with muscular dystrophy which didn’t faze me at all because I didn’t know exactly what it was all about.

After a few appointments with my neurologist and my orthopedic surgeon we all came to the decision that I would need several operations to maybe slow down the rapid decline. After the first operation I was not taking things well and started drinking Vodka daily. A few years later they diagnosed me with cancer which they had to operate immediately. I went through chemo therapy and radiation. Work placed me on permanent disability after I went threw another 7 major operations and 8 minor surgeries. Through out all of this, about 8 years of in and out of hospitals I had been drinking heavily 40-60 ounces of vodka a day.

I decided to go to a therapy/detox at the Montréal general hospital. 2 months later I relapsed and drank for another 8 months before going to St. Luc for Detox and then Fosters for 28 days. I then started the outpatient program which lasted a month more before I relapsed again. This time I was drinking 60 ounces of Vodka a day. I did this until I became violently ill. I tried to stop on my own and had a seizure and was hospitalized. The doctors told me that my liver was failing. I decided to detox at the hospital again to straighten out. The doctor suggested I see a counselor which I did. The counselor recommended Dianova. After doing some research I talked to my wife and decided that I really needed professional help.

When I arrived at Dianova I was welcomed with open arms. I integrated really fast. Through my therapy I became aware of my anxiety. The first month was tiring for me as my body and mind weren’t working together. I was still in denial about my disease. Working with my counselor helped me begin to realize what I can do not what I used to do. I realized that not admitting was causing a lot of my anxiety. After sharing the feedback wasn’t what I expected, people where very understanding and where happy that I explained my situation as was I. This made me feel great and relieved.

My confidence level is very high right now. My social skills are back to normal and I have very little stress. My hard work has really paid off, I’m very proud of myself. Alcohol is no longer a necessity in my life. This program has taught me much more about myself. My experiences here will forever be with me, I made the right decision when I chose to stop drinking and come to Dianova.

I will be volunteering at hospitals and also plan to continue to get professional help at least once or twice a month. In March I plan on enrolling in a course.

I would like to express my appreciation to all at Dianova. This is an exceptional program that definitely helped me and I would definitely recommend it. I’ve learned to self assess and develop strength in many areas. Most of all, I’ve learned to be myself again!